Days At The Corner Café
by appliiex
Summary: AU. Meet Sora, a barista at the Corner Café. This is the story about the customers he serves and the challenges he overcomes while working in the middle of a medical centre.
1. The day Sora started from the bottom

Author's note: Hi guys! Long time no story huh? :P

This is actually a side story to another story I will write up shortly. It will be called Bittersweet Aroma so please look out for that title in the future :) I have a massive writer's block for that story at the moment but please enjoy this in the meantime. This story is a complement to the main story to help understand the characters a bit better and to uncover bit and pieces of the past. No big plot line or anything.

Thanks guys :)

**Disclaimer**: I do not own Kingdom Hearts or Final Fantasy, or any characters from them. They belong to Tetsuya Nomura.

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><p><strong><span>Chapter 1<span>: The day Sora started from the bottom**

A woman wearing a slim-fitting grey suit walked down the hallway into the reception area. She had a headache. Her tight hair bun and high heels weren't helping with the pain either. She groaned as she checked the time: 3:30pm. _Only one more hour to go_, she mentally thought to herself. She continued walking and stopped by the entrance, pushed her glasses into her face while looking down at her clipboard, and called out;

"Sora Hikari?"

A young brunette man stood up from the couch and held out his hand enthusiastically. "That's me! Nice to meet you!"

The woman frowned as she eyed him up and down.

White collar shirt. That's acceptable. Black slacks. Most appropriate. And… red converse shoes? Wild spiky hair? Who was he trying to be? The tenth doctor?!

She plastered on a wide smile and hesitantly shook his hand. "Yes… it's a pleasure. Now please follow me, Ventus is waiting for you in his office." She turned back on her heels walked back where she came from.

"Thank you." Tension filled the air as they walked in silence. The uncomfortable atmosphere was overwhelming but she put up with it. This was all part of the job. After working at this office for a time that was way past her liking, her care factor has decreased significantly. Poor kid.

They stopped by a large wooden door with the name 'Ventus Kizuna' engraved on the front. The woman knocked before opening the door and entered the slightly musk room. There was a tall window at the end of the room with a desk just before it and two chairs at each end. A red carpet was rolled from the entrance to the door to the desk and a couple of bookcases lined the walls. The chair furthest away was turned facing the window, hiding the figure from the visitors.

"Ventus, Sora Hikari is here." The blue haired woman spoke.

"Thank you, Aqua. You may leave now." A stern voice boomed out from the chair.

As Aqua left, the chair spun around revealing a blonde hair man with shorter spikes styled in a professional matter. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a bright red tie and a white shirt to complement. His eyes widened slightly as he checked out the young man before him and smirked. He had a good feeling about this guy. "Have a seat, young man. How are you doing today?"

"Good, thank you, sir. Yourself?" Sora pulled out the chair and sat down, feeling slightly appreciative that it was slightly cushioned.

"I'm good. Please, call me Ventus." The other man smiled. "You applied for the 'Store Manager' role, didn't you?"

"Yes I did." Sora started to twiddle his thumbs.

Ventus reached down and pulled out a piece of paper from the drawer. "So, before we begin the interview, I was looking over your resume and to be perfectly honest, it surprised me. No work experience whatsoever, no skills were mentioned, and lastly, you just graduated from UDI with a degree that has no relevance for the position you applied for. What do you think is going to happen today?"

Sora sat up straight and smiled calmly. "I think you are going to give me a chance."

A blonde eyebrow shot up. "Oh? A chance to work?"

"Yes and," Sora grinned before straightening up again, "you are going to give me a chance to explain myself. If you didn't, you wouldn't have called me up for an interview. I mean, you saw how crap my resume is."

"Hmm, cocky aren't you?" Ventus grinned along with him. "Why should I hire you when there are plenty of other people with more qualifications?"

Sora continued. "I know that I may not have the right experience or skills you desire, but I have the right work ethic. I'm still young so by getting this job it will give me a precious opportunity to learn and develop. I can follow instructions and have a willingness to learn anything. And by applying with an empty resume, I showed initiative. Courage, even."

"Mmm." Ventus leaned forward on the desk and looked straight into the young man's eyes. "The Corner Café is a well known company that has over 100 stores across the Island, and we only hire the best to represent us. If there was a single slip up or accident, it could ruin us. This position you applied for requires someone to smoothly operate the café and manage other staff. At times, you may have to work independently, especially due to the location of this store. Why do you think you have what it takes to be in this position?"

"Did you ever play soccer in high school?"

The blonde furrowed his eyebrows. "No, I was more of a chess geek."

"Well, I was the captain of the soccer team. Even in UDI, I was the president of the Soccer Club. You know what I learnt? Teamwork. To play the best game, we had to work as a team. Brotherhood helped us to succeed. As the captain, it was my job to encourage and motivate everyone before a big game so that we would put in 110%. Everybody relied on me to make the best decisions and lead the team into victory. Even if we won or loss, it didn't matter. We had fun together on the field and that was the most important factor. I can also work well under pressure and make decisions in order to produce the best results. It was great to work in a tight-knit team and I hope to bring over the same qualities to this job." Sora smiled at the memories as he reflected on his experiences.

"What is your greatest failure and what did you learn from it?"

"How about love?"

Ventus almost choked. Did he hear that right? "Excuse me?"

"Have you ever been in love?"

"Um, well," Ventus scratched the back of his head before answering. "Yes I have." He felt that he could trust this kid.

The young man looked away for a second before looking back at the blonde. "When I was in my last year of high school I was in love with this girl. She was smart, kind, and so so beautiful. I was at the point where I was obsessed and followed her every move. When we had to choose what to do after we leave high school, I was shocked when she wanted to do a law degree. So I decided I wanted to do law as well. I spent the rest of my senior year studying just to make sure I can get into this course as the score to get in was so high. I missed my senior prom for this. My friends started to drift away and I hardly showed up for soccer practice even though I was the captain. It was the worst time of my life. When the results came out, I ended up passing the score and excitedly went to ask this girl out. But she rejected me. She was going to Radiant Gardens for college to do a beauty course instead. By this experience, I learned that I shouldn't give up what I enjoy in life for love…"

There was a pregnant pause in the middle as Sora looked away. The young man coughed suddenly and perked back up. "…and learned that no matter what I'm doing I should strive to do it the best of my ability. Otherwise, it's not worth doing at all."

Ventus gave him a sympathetic smile. "Alright. What are your availabilities?"

"I can work everyday, any time." Sora smiled.

"Can you start next week?"

"Yes."

"Good." Ventus spun around his chair and faced the window. He was having an internal battle with himself as he looked at his reflection upon the window. This kid showed potential yet he did not have the necessary experience. He could either be really bad or be a quick learner. He hoped for the latter. Should he give in? He sighed inwardly and spun back, facing Sora. "You know what, kid? You remind me of myself when I was younger. And it's not just the spikiness, it's your passion. You clearly show that you have a passion for delivering memorable experiences and you demonstrate that you have warm and authentic communication skills. Lastly, you have great instinct; I _will_ give you a chance. You're hired."

Sora widened his eyes. "What?"

"You're hired. Congratulations, Sora." Ventus held out his right hand.

"Just like that?"

"Just like that." Ventus confirmed.

Sora stood up and took his hand. "Thank you, sir! You won't regret this!"

"It's _Ventus_. However,'' the blonde placed two fingers on the side of his head, "it won't be for the 'Store Manager' role. You will be a regular barista since we have another opening for this position. This involves making coffee for our customers as well as helping with the other café duties. You don't have enough experience or skills to be a manager yet, but if you prove to me that in about a year or so you are capable of running the café independently with no problems, I might consider you for the role. Is that alright with you?"

"Yes!" Sora replied too quickly. He straightened up and coughed. "I mean, I'd have to make some arrangements but it should be fine."

"That's what I like to hear." Ventus grinned and stood up. They began walking towards the door. "In the meantime, I'll be running as the store manager. Yes, I have decided I'll be returning to the field." The blonde announced to himself, leaving Sora confused in the background. "I'll train you in every area to make sure you are perfection before the store opens. Aqua will give you the details about the training sessions on your way out."

"Thank you so much, sir." Sora bowed before him and left with the biggest smile on his face.

"It's VENTUS!" The blonde called after him but grinned as he saw the young man fist pumped the air. He shook his head and return to his office. _This is going to be a long year._

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><p>And so it begins.<p>

UDI = University of Destiny Islands. I wanted it to sound like UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles). :P The girl is not Kairi btw. She plays a different role.

Thanks for reading the first instalment and I shall see you guys soon :)

... I hope. *fingers crossed*


	2. The Day Kairi First Tasted Adulthood

**Author's note**: Apparently I have been spelling espresso wrong all these years. I used to spell it 'expresso' until Word corrected me when I was typing this chapter up and I googled it just to be safe. Haha, what even?

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 2:<strong> **The Day Kairi First Tasted Adulthood**

Kairi Hart couldn't wait to be an adult.

When she was a little girl, she often dreamt about her future Prince Charming. Tall, long silky blonde hair, beautiful blue eyes, and of course, the list wouldn't be complete if her Prince Charming could sweep her off her feet.

However, as she grew up, reality exceeded her dreams and the Princes she had ever dated were, well… let's just say that they were the Prince's best friend's horse keeper's servants.

It was not only that her love life was pulled down by a childish fantasy, Kairi never experienced the thrill of being a grown up. Yeah sure, she was finally freed from her parent's clutches and lived life independently, but she never lived life to the fullest. For example, hitting the clubs with her girlfriends was not her thing. Being surrounded by sweaty drunk people in a dark room while getting eyed up by strange men made her extremely uncomfortable and she avoided those scenes as much as possible. And there was only so many dance moves Kairi could bust out during the many repetitive "doof-doof" songs.

But it was the middle of the year when she had to return from Twilight Town's Medical Centre that she had the first taste of being an adult. And she liked it.

At the prime age of 21 years old, Kairi was in her graduate year of her Occupational Therapy degree and she had her work placements at the Island's Medical Centre. She could have chose better places to do her placement but she loved the Centre too much: she loved the staff, the location, the pay-rate, everything. And in return, everybody loved her back.

Kairi drove to work that day in her shiny red sports car with her short red-wine hair tied in pig tails flowing in the wind. She had to constantly push her black thick-framed glasses back onto her face as they kept falling off every time she pressed on the brakes. Miley Cyrus was blasting from the radio but she didn't care. She had the best sleep in for the longest time and nothing could ruin her mood. Apparently, she was wrong.

She drove past the Centre's entrance and went to her usual parking spot in the middle with a tall tree shading over the space. It was a pain to walk to the entrance from that spot but that tree shade was a necessity for her car in the never ending summer weather. As she got to about 20 meters away from the spot, she suddenly slammed on her brakes when she saw that the spot was currently occupied.

Who the _hell_ took her spot?

All the staff knew that this was _her _spot. They specifically left the spot empty just for her every time she had a shift. And now, she was only gone for a week and somebody had already stole her spot? Shit's about to hit the roof! Kairi mentally cursed the driver that took her spot and drove around the car park several more times while plotting the revenge she would inflict upon them. Mind you, it wasn't a very clean revenge she had in mind.

After 10 minutes of endless driving, she finally found a parking spot at the very end of the car park. As she got to the entrance she saw something new: it was a sign pointing to a new café called 'The Corner Café.' She looked down at her watch and saw that she still had half and hour before her shift actually started. '_Hmm.. I guess I do have time to spare,_' she thought to herself as she made her way down the West Wing, greeting those she met along the way with a fake smile.

Kairi finally arrived and pushed the door open, making the little bell chime as she walked in. The tables and lounge area was empty with the only people in the shop being the two staff members. One of the staff was a blonde short spiky haired man in smart casual clothes, showing that he was obviously the manager, while the other member also had spiky hair but his were longer and brunette, and he was wearing the signature green work uniform and a brown apron with a name tag that said 'Sora'. The blonde was currently sipping a small cup of coffee and gave a thumbs up to the brunette, while he fist pumped the air. Kairi smiled softly at the scene before her and walked up to the counter. The blonde suddenly noticed the new customer and ushered the brunette to serve her. She noticed that his hands were powdered with coffee and assumed that he was a barista. The brunette quickly put on a cheerful attitude as he started to greet her, "Welcome to the Corner Café! How are you doing today?"

"Angry." She puffed out her cheeks and narrowed her eyes. "Some asshole stole my parking spot!"

"I didn't know that staff had allocated parking here."

"We don't but everybody knows that this spot is always mine. There's none like it, it has a big tree that could shade your car." She banged her fist against the counter, making the barista jump back in surprise. "And now it's gone! Whoever that jerk is, I will find him and hunt him down!"

"I'm, erm," the brunette rubbed the back of his head nervously, "Sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can get for you that might make your day?"

Kairi anger subsided as she bit her lip and the menu hanging on the wall. "Umm, give me a minute. I haven't decided yet." She made eye contact with the barista and saw that his eyes were a deep shade of blue. "Is this café new?"

"Yep, we just opened yesterday." The brunette smiled proudly. "You are actually the fourth person that I'll be making coffee for."

"Oh no, no." She waved her hands in front of her. "No coffee, thanks. I hate it."

Kairi swore she heard a glass break in the kitchen as she watched the brunette's jaw dropped. "Excuse me? Someone hates coffee?! How is that possible?!"

"Coffee's all the same: it's awfully bitter and it tastes like death. I don't get why people pay so much money for something so horrible." She twiddled her thumbs mindlessly as she looked every else except at the barista's face. His ocean blue eyes were making her feel guilty. "Every time I order a coffee I have to put like, 10 cups of sugar to tolerate it. It's just not for me."

"Hmm." The barista moved away from the counter and started to grind the coffee beans into the filter. Then he tamped down the coffee, placed it into the espresso machine, put a cup underneath, and flicked the switch on. "That's because you always had bad coffee. Coffee can be really good if it's made right." He flicked the switch again and started to froth the milk. "Now, I'm not saying that my coffee is the best but my boss said it's exceptional and he has high standards, so," he winked, "it's pretty good."

Kairi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, really?"

"Really, really."

"How do I know you won't make me poison?" She asked skeptically.

He laughed. "I assure you, I will change your life forever. Do you trust me?"

She couldn't help but to smile towards the Disney reference. "I do." It was something about this guy that made her fall for his every word. "Well then, hit me with your best shot."

And for the first time since she arrived, his eyes lighted up with excitement. "Was that to have here or take away?"

"It'll probably be easier if it was in a take away cup."

"All-righty then!" The barista grabbed a standard sized paper coffee cup and held a marker to it. He looked up into her eyes. "It wouldn't feel like a real coffee shop if I didn't write your name on the cup."

"Isn't this a café?"

"Pfft, same thing."

She wondered if she should give a fake name before finally answering, "Kairi."

The brunette stared at her for a split second before writing on the cup with his tongue sticking out. He frowned at his writing before placing it back down and continued his work. After a minute, he presented her with a cup topped with whipped cream and a wafer with cocoa powder lightly dusted on top. The name 'Kyrie' was written on the front in barely recognisable writing. However, Sora was too proud of his work to care though as he handed her the cup with a smile from ear to ear on his face. "Here you go!"

The red-wine haired girl chuckled lightly at the misspelling but ignored it as she looked upon the beautiful creation before her. "This looks so amazing! I have to instagram this!" She grabbed out her phone and took a photo. "What type of coffee is this?"

"Ah, I can't tell you."

The girl pouted. "How much do I owe you?"

"Nothing." He smiled warmly. "Seeing the face of a coffee hater actually enjoying coffee is enough to satisfy me."

"I can't guarantee that." She felt her cheeks reddened. "And I can't accept something for free."

"I've already brewed it so enjoy it."

"But-"

"Kairi." The brunette's voice was stern. "Just drink the coffee."

Kairi froze at the sound of her name and gave up. "Thank you." She closed her eyes as she inhaled the scent of the coffee. It smelt sweet like chocolate. Maybe he accidentally made a hot chocolate instead? She cautiously lifted the cup to her mouth and slowly took a sip. And another. And a few more after that.

In the meantime, the barista was watching her with a big smile on his face. "So? It's good, right?"

_Absolutely delicious_. "It's okay." She replied. _'Crap, how is this is so amazing? It doesn't even taste bitter_,' she thought to herself as she kept drinking.

"Liar!" The barista smirked. "Your face tells another story."

She looked to her reflection in the mirror on the wall behind the counter and to her surprise, he was right. Her eyes were shining and she had a funny grin stuck on her face. She coughed and straightened herself up. "That was… I was thinking of something else."

"Sure. The taste of a coffee depends on the way you brew it. You can hardly taste the espresso shot, right? You said you hated the bitterness of the coffee so I chose to make a Hazelnut Mocha for you so that it wouldn't be as bitter. Isn't it amazing?" The brunette announced proudly more to himself than to the girl.

She took another sip. "It's average."

"Heh, keep telling yourself that."

"I've had better-" Kairi stopped as she realised her mistake. She just told the guy that she never had a good coffee and this was the best comeback she could come up with? Good one. She tried to smoothly recover herself by standing up from the stool that she was sitting on and looked at her watch. "Oh, would you look at that? It's time for me to go Thanks for the coffee!"

"You're welcome. I'll see you next time!" The barista waved to her as she started to leave. "And Kairi-?"

She stopped before the door and turned to face the brunette. "Yes?"

"I was the one who took your parking spot with the big tree. Sorry!" He grinned sheepishly and quickly ran into the kitchen as the cup from her hand dropped to the ground.

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><p><strong><span>Author's note:<span>** I actually hate coffee except for chai lattes. But hey, let's be real here. They are not real coffees. ;) What about you guys? Do you like coffee?

A special thank you to everyone who have followed and favourited this story. And a special shoutout to Miss Zenovia and Ken7700 for reviewing the first chapter! All of you guys are awesome and I'm extremely grateful :)

On a random side note: I lied in the previous chapter's author's note. This story will probably become the main story. Haha, surprise! :P

Thanks for reading and have a happy new year! Make the most of this year while you still have the chance! :) x


	3. The Day Riku Had A Taste Of His Own Meds

**Author's note:** This chapter was actually inspired by a true story between an airport receptionist and an angry passenger. It's floating as a meme somewhere on facebook and so, if you ever find it, read it! It's hilarious.

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 3: <strong>**The Day Riku Had a Taste of His Own Medicine**

Riku Turner.

24 years of age.

With natural smarts and a scholarship, Riku zoomed through med school and became a substantial resident. He has saved many lives with the first being when he was only 18 years old. Not only is his career set, he has no problem attracting the ladies. Luxurious silver hair, athletic built, mature looking face, turquoise colored eyes… _oh_ da_yum_, even the author of this story is drooling.

In other words, this guy was hot. And the worst thing was, he knew that for a fact.

Whenever he walked down the hallways he was always stopped either from female fans trying to take his photo or elderly medical staff members praising him for his work. Even in the 'Destiny Island's Times' he was featured on the front cover for being the next rising doctor. And of course, it wasn't juicy enough if the magazine had to mention that he was the hottest bachelor in town.

But like in most cases, he was a total ass.

That's right.

Rude, obnoxious, arrogant, vain, you name it. It wasn't that Riku was initially like this. His great success has gained him to be well respected by his peers that he knew that he could do anything and they would still idol him. Even as he treated the nurses like slaves, patients as experiments and visitors as annoyances, they knew that he would still get the job done in the best way possible. At times, they did feel patronized. But hey, if it were _the_ Riku Turner telling you to do something, you would do it. No questions asked.

However, Riku's high horse came crashing down on the day he transferred from the public hospital to the Island's Medical Centre.

Word had been floating around that the young prodigy was going to start working in the Centre and everybody was excited. It was from the tiniest details that the director wanted to make sure an impression was left on the young resident. For example, he made the medical staff take handwriting lessons and ordered the cleaners to make the beds with the pillow tag facing away from the door, as according to Riku, they looked ugly when you could see the tag.

Just like a movie star but without the limousine, Riku arrived in an ambulance truck, flashing lights and all. He had his stethoscope around his neck, white coat on with scrubs underneath, and a determine look on his face as he stepped out of the truck. He was with a patient just to make sure they were okay during the ride and quickly handover to the staff about the situation when they got to the Centre.

When he finally got to go on his break, his stomach growled for food and he followed the signs pointing towards 'The Corner Café'. Whilst ignoring the stares and points by the people he walked past, he made his way towards the West Ward and found that the café was literally at the corner of the overall Centre.

The little bell above the door chimed as Riku walked in and narrowed his eyes as he quickly observed the inside of the café; there was a long line of people waiting at the counter, with the rest of the customers enjoying their coffees at the tables or the lounge area. Some of them turned their heads at the new arrival but the majority didn't take notice and resumed their activities. Riku didn't like that. Did no one care that he, _the _Riku Turner was in this little café? He frowned. As he started to line up, his frown only deepened as he saw what was the hold up. The customer first in line was an elderly lady, whom had obviously strayed from her original order and instead spoke about what she had for dinner, while the barista was patiently listening to her and laughing at all the right moments when she claimed to have an 'elderly moment'.

After the third laugh from the brunette, Riku was fed up. He didn't have to tolerate this kind of service. And most importantly, he didn't have to wait. He walked out of the line to right behind the lady and coughed loudly into his fist, making both hers and the barista's head turn to him. "Excuse me, do you know who I am?"

The elderly lady gasped but the barista didn't bat an eye. "Who are you?"

"_Sora,"_ The lady stressed. "That's Riku Turner!" She slapped down the 'Destiny Island's Times' magazine she was holding on the counter and pointed to the resident's face. "This young man right here. He's-"

"The best of the best? One in a million? A rising star to fame?" Riku interrupted. "Take your pick. There's plenty more I can think of. Now move aside, old lady, I need to get my coffee hit."

As the lady was about to exit the line, the brunette barista swiftly placed his hand on her arm and held her back. "I'm sorry, sir, but I was not done serving this customer."

"Excuse me?" His eyes widen.

"I repeat, I was not finished serving this customer. Please go back in line and I will serve you when your time has come."

Riku narrowed his eyes. Who did this guy think he is? "I think you didn't hear me properly. My name is _Riku Turner_ and I _order_ you to serve me."

The customers in the café stopped their conversations and stared at the situation unfolding before them. But instead of being shaken up, the barista smiled widely in return. "I apologize again, sir. But you see, there are other people who have been patiently in line before you had even arrived in the store. I have to ask you to please get back to the line and wait for your turn."

"This is outrageous!" Riku raised his voice. "You can't tell me what to do. How dare you treat me like a commoner! I am _Riku Turner_, the rising doctor! I have places to go, people to save, I don't have time to be waiting in a line this big!"

"Sir, I need you to calm down and I'm sorry but I will serve you when the people in front of you has been served."

"No," the silver haired resident leaned over the counter and looked down to the brunette barista. He glared hard. "I demand you the service I deserve!"

"Then please get to the back of the line and wait your turn." The brunette repeated.

Fed up with the barista, Riku flailed up his arms. "I don't need this. Screw you!"

The barista looked him straight in the eye before replying calmly. "Please wait in line for that too."

A cheer rose from the customers as they applauded the barista while the silver haired resident's cheeks flushed in embarrassment and retired to the door. How dare _he_. This low-life thinks he can make a fool of him in public? What a joke.

Before Riku pulled the door handle, he stopped and turned his head back. There was something different about this place. It was as if the café was cut off and had it's own little world, away from all the problems and misery that people had brought with them when they came to the Centre. He didn't notice how heartwarming the atmosphere was when he first walked in, he had only focused on himself. But it was apparent that no one else did, even after the scene just minutes before; the elderly lady had remembered her order and was happily eating her slice of cake with her husband who had been waiting at a table, the line had been cleared with the last customer conversing with the barista as he brewed his coffee with a smile on his face, and the air was filled with endless chatter and laughter from the rest of the customers. Overall, the aroma of the café was glowing with bliss. And it was all because of the spiky haired barista.

For the first time in forever, Riku felt a stab of envy. He was hot, smart and successful. So, why did he feel jealous of the barista?

Conflicted by his emotions, he pulled the door open but before he left, he glanced back to the barista one last time. The brunette was currently talking to a blonde hair man while frothing the milk. He wasn't paying attention to the milk and a second later, the milk splattered all over to the floor, making the blonde man jump while the barista scratched the back of his head and gave him the biggest smile in return.

Riku chuckled at the scene. He quickly muttered, "bastard," and left without saying another word.

He can get his Mint Chocolate Mocha Frappucino tomorrow.

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><p><strong><span>Author's note:<span>** Okay, so this is the last short chapter; the main story will finally get a move on in the next chapter woo! :D This means longer chapters, longer dialogue, but however, a much more longer wait for updates. I apologize in advance.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday with their loved ones :D And to my fellow Aussies if you are reading, please drink plenty of water and slap on sunscreen everyday! The heat is rising down here so be careful! :)

Thanks to Ken7700, SoraxKairi7, Malcolm Yuy and sukarettimay for the reviews on the last chapter! And to those who have followed and favourited this story! You are all incredible people :)

See you all next time on _Days At The Corner Cafe_ ;)


	4. The Day That Started It All

**Author's note:** Happy Valentines Day everyone! I hope you are all enjoying yourselves with your loved ones. The most I got was this guy texting me: 'hey -, have a good day being single :D' ... wow thanks man, no need to remind me LOL.

And so, 3789 words later...

Enjoy!

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><p><span><strong>Chapter 4: <strong>**The Day That Started It All**

"I need a small flat white with skim milk and two sugars!"

"Coming right up!"

Make the shot. Froth the milk. Pour.

That was the basics of coffee making. And Sora just about nailed it… or so he thought.

As he carefully placed the cup on a saucer with two sachets of sugar he thought about the last few weeks he had been working at the Corner Café. Although he got the basics down, he still wasn't used to the large demand for coffee in the mornings. He called over for the light-brown haired waitress and handed her the docket. "Here you go, Aerith!"

The woman smiled in return. "Thank you, Sora." She put the coffee on her tray and carried it over to a table where a couple was sitting.

"Sora!" The brunette turned his head towards his blonde boss. "A small cappuccino, please!"

"On it's way!"

As the barista started to make the espresso shot, he was interrupted once again by his boss. "Sora, the next order is two piccolo lattes!"

"You got it!"

Not even when Sora finished frothing up the milk, Ventus returned once again. "I need a large chocolate frappuccino but hold the cream!"

"Uh, give me a second."

"Sora, where's the Cappuccino?" Aerith asked as she came to machine, her long thick braid swung to a stop over her shoulder.

"Right-" he quickly dusted the top of the coffee with chocolate powder and placed it on a saucer, "-here!"

"And the docket?"

"Um," he frantically scrambled through the dockets but found that it was no use. There was just too many. "I don't know! Just go around to all the tables and ask everyone if they ordered a small cap'."

"Aerith, don't do that," Ventus ordered. He quickly organized the dockets and slipped one on her tray. "Table 14, go!"

"Veeeennn," Sora whined as he poured the two coffees. "It's only-'' he paused to look down at his watch- "8:42am and there's just way too many orders! I can't make them all in time!"

"Stop complaining, you slacker!" Ven slapped a rolled up docket on his head, earning a small 'ow' from the younger worker. "This is nothing! Now, the next order needs one small skinny latte, one small cappuccino and a small white tea, please."

"Got it," Sora groaned internally and wrote a name on the large cup. He looked around the customers and held out the beverage for them to see. ''A large chocolate frappuccino for Mar-luck-see…ah?"

"It's Mar_luxia!_"A man with pink hair came out and snatched the drink out of his hand.

"Have a good day," Sora replied and went back to make the next order. ''Jerk," he added softly once the customer was well out of ear shot.

"Focus, Sora," Ventus warns behind him. "After the order for table 12, you need one babycino, one medium iced coffee with an extra shot, two small cappuccinos, one with skim milk and the other with almond milk, and one large flat white with four sugars. You got all that?"

The barista stared at him in disbelief. "You must be joking."

"Kid," Ven starts off. "There are times when I am absolutely hilarious and everybody is rolling on the floor laughing their asses off. Can you hear that?" He holds his hand to his ear with a wide grin on his face. He suddenly dropped his smile and made his lips into a firm line. "No? You don't hear anything at all? That's what I thought. Now suck it up and make that order!"

"Yes, sir!" Sora saluted and started to make the shots. "Ow!"

"It's _Ventus_!" The blonde unrolled a docket and placed it back on the machine before ducking into the kitchen.

"Here, I'll help you," Aerith offered as she put her tray down.

"That would be much appreciated," he replied. "Why is he such a hardass?"

"Because he loves his job. In better words, he loves to succeed."

"That doesn't mean he has to be so," Sora held the cup to his mouth like a microphone as he sang, "ruuuude."

"No singing!" Ventus called out from kitchen.

Aerith lightly chuckled as she placed the large order on her tray. "Don't take it personally. He's only acting macho to toughen you up."

"Macho? Pfft!" Sora held up an icy beverage and called out to the crowd. "A large mint chocolate frappucino for," Sora smirked, "Riku?"

The silver haired resident came forth from the crowd of people huddled at the end of the counter. "Don't say a word."

The barista held up his hands. "I'm not judging you. Nuh uh, none whatsoever."

Riku glared at him before leaving with his drink.

"Sora!" Ventus returned. "Next order is…"

* * *

><p>After several hours of service the clock finally struck six o' clock, indicating closing time. Sora was placing the chairs up on the tables when Ventus entered the lounge area and sat down on the couch.<p>

"Sora, come here for a second. " Ventus gestured him to the seat next to him.

"Um, yeah sure." The brunette sat down.

"Here," the blonde passed a can of soda to Sora.

"Thanks, sir."

"_Ventus_." The blonde emphasised. He sighed and then slouched back down into the couch. "I just wanted to say that I am, well…"

The air was filled with silence as the blonde started to drift into his thoughts. The younger man coughed softly in his hand to break the silence.

"It's just," Ventus started again. "There are days when it is super busy, like for example, today, and I have to be the superior. I can't be your friend and be easy on you all the time. Times like this my work side persona comes out and takes over me. My evil side per se. I call him 'Vanitas."

Sora raised an eyebrow. "O-kay."

"So when 'Vanitas' comes out, I just want to apologize in advance. I should have warned you earlier, but it's a good idea to throw you into the deep end so that you'll learn faster. And I know it's hard the first time around but you'll get used to it. No hard feelings, right?"

"Yeah, everything's all good, Ven."

He stood up and slapped the younger man's back. "You're a good kid, you know that?"

"So I've been told."

Ventus smiled. "Thanks, Sora. You can go home when you're done. Good work today, it'll only get harder from now on."

"Uh, thanks. Much encouragement." Sora stood up as well and continued cleaning while Ventus went back to the kitchen to the office. _'Such a strange man__,'_ he thought to himself.

As Sora finished up his tasks, he finally took off his apron and hung it on the wall next to the kitchen door, a daily reminder for him that he has finished work for the day. He said his goodbyes to Ventus and Aerith and walked through the medical centre to the exit. It was a good thing that the Corner Café was located on the bottom floor. He wouldn't know how to react if he had to take the lift with all the medical staff and patients everyday.

The door to the exit finally was in view and he stepped out of the building with much relief. The sun was still soaring high in the sky with no sign of setting anytime soon. '_Typical Destiny _Islands', Sora thought to himself and pulled his hood over his head. Instead of walking to the staff car park, he went straight past the sign to the entrance of the Centre and to the side streets. Now that his formal car park spot 'owner' was back, he couldn't find another parking space and was forced to park in the streets. Not that he was complaining though, it was free of charge.

As he turned his head to look both ways before crossing the road, he saw a lone figure standing at the bus stop. Her red hair was swaying in the wind as she stared into the distance looking out for the bus. '_What was her name again? It began with a K… Karmen? Karly? Kira?'_ he rubbed his chin and suddenly snapped his fingers as an imaginary light bulb lit up above his head. _'No wait, it's Kairi!'_

"Hey, Kairi!" Sora called out.

No answer.

"Kairi! Heeeeey!" He tried once more while walking towards her. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that she was bobbing her head slightly to the music she was listening to through her earphones.

Grinning, Sora slowly half walked half tiptoed the rest of the way. He knew he looked like a total creep but this was totally worth it. Once he was a hair's breadth away from the girl, he screamed like a banshee, "KAIRI!"

"AHHH OH MY GOSH, PERVERT! DON'T TOUCH ME!" Kairi stomped on his foot, elbowed him with her right arm and raised her arm to back hand punch him.

He quickly held his hands up. "Wait, Kai- ow!" In a matter of seconds, he found himself being thrown over and sitting on the floor.

"Don't even think about it, you lil' nasty!" She grabbed a spray bottle from her bag and started shaking it. "I swear I will use this!"

"Geesus girl! Calm down! It's me!" Sora pulled his hood down, revealing his gravity-defying spikes. "I served you at the Corner Café the other day, remember?"

"Oh crap!" Her eyes widen in realization. "I'm _so_ sorry!" She gave him a sympathetic smile as she held a hand out. "You look like a predator without your spikes and all."

"Wow, thanks," he replied sarcastically as he took her hand.

"I mean- crap, sorry that came out wrong!" She let go and cupped her mouth, making him fall back to the ground. "Sorry! Are you okay?"

He glared up at her from the ground. "Just give me a few more bruises, would you?"

"I'm _sooo_ sorry!" She stretched out her hand again.

"You swear you're not going to let go this time?"

"Do you trust me?"

Sora cautiously gazed at the outstretched hand before taking it and chuckled. "Don't steal my lines."

"Hey! You first stole it from Aladdin." She smirked.

"Touché." He hissed in pain as his back ached in pain and examine his limbs. He's definitely going to wake up with bruises tomorrow.

"I'm sorry about the predator comment too. You know when there is a shadow cast on the person's eyes and they know your name and they grab you from behind and-" she reasoned desperately.

"Okay, okay, I get what you mean." He cut her off. He noticed her backpack on the ground. "Where's that hot sports car of yours?"

"My baby is getting serviced this week. I dropped her off this morning."

"A week? Did you crash it or something?"

"No," she was a bit embarrassed to say this. "She's actually getting pimped. I'm putting in a new engine as well as new headlights. Oh, and a new paint job."

Sora let out a low whistle. "Wow. So anyway, what time does your bus come?"

"In-," she looked down at her watch, "-24 minutes."

"Hmm," he rubbed his chin and suddenly snapped his fingers. "Come on, I'll give you a lift home."

"Oh, no." Kairi frantically waved her hands in front of her. "That's not necessary."

"It's late and there might be _real_ predators lurking around. Like that guy." He pointed at a certain silver haired resident that was currently walking out of the Centre. He gave him a big wave but only got flipped off in return.

"As previously demonstrated, I can clearly take care of myself. You have the bruises to prove it." She gave a small grin. "The sun is still up anyway. Thanks but no thanks."

"Don't be so stubborn."

"Don't be so persistent."

They both stared at each other before Sora finally broke off contact. "Fine, be that way." He grabbed her backpack and started walking towards his car. It was an old car, with the paint starting to peel off at the sides. It wasn't the best car in the world, he admitted. Especially when you compare it to Kairi's hot red sports car but hey, it gets him to places.

"Hey, wait! What are you doing?!"

He ignored her cries and kept going to his destination.

"Stop, you!" Kairi grabbed one of her straps, making him turn around. "Let go of my bag!"

"Just accept the ride." Sora grinned and dragged her along with him. He got out his keys and unlocked the car.

"But-"

"No 'buts'. Haven't we had this conversation before?"

"I've only just met you like, once. I don't even know your name and you're already offering me a ride home? How do I know you're not some murderer? Or a real creep that will kidnap me and sell out my body in another world?"

"You're really skeptical, aren't you?" He laughed as he struggled to open the passenger door. Not once, not twice, but on the third try he finally got it and threw the bag in the passenger's seat.

Kairi only frowned in response and crossed her arms. She was not convinced at all. _'Oh boy, what have I gotten myself into?'_ he thought to himself.

Sora sighed. "Kairi, if I was a murderer I wouldn't have called out your name and crept up behind you. Instead I would have faced you upfront and be nice to you until you trusted me enough to look away, and_ then_ I would have gagged you with chloroform and throw you in my car. Actually, I would have hired out a van to do the dirty deed as this car is way too precious to be abandoned in a ditch somewhere. Paid way too much for her, you know what I mean?"

She rolled her eyes. "Well, you got the nice part down already."

"Come on, Kairi. You don't want to walk all the way back there, do you?"

Kairi looked back at the bus stop and back to the beat up car. In her mind, she was weighing up the options, fighting whether to spend money or get a free ride. The bus was public and there was a slimmer chance of it breaking down than the car she was currently looking at. However, it was indeed too far to walk back to the bus stop. She finally sighed and pushed her thick-framed glasses back on her face.

"That's what I thought," Sora said with a chuckle and closed the door for her. He re-entered in the driver's seat. "Laziness always triumphs in the end."

"Yeah, yeah. Just shut up and drive." She gave him her home address and a few moments later, he tried to start the engine.

They sat there in silence, listening to the sounds of the engine coughing. It was almost as if the car was about to collapse and die.

After the fourth attempt, she finally decided to speak up. "Having a little trouble there?"

"No, she just needs a-," he twisted the key again, "-little-," the engine finally roared with life, "-more work."

"She's pretty old, huh?"

"Yup, I'm actually her fifth owner. You might say that she's been passed around the block a lot." Sora turned into the main road. "And I can't ride her for too long either."

"You might need to warm her up first before driving her long and hard." She caught on quickly. "She has a nice bod', though it might be nicer if her top was down."

"Nah, I once slammed her into a pole and now she's a wrecked."

Kairi looked at the boy next to her in shock. "Oh crap! Did your insurance cover it?"

"Of course. Better to have protection than to risk it, right?" He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. "Though… her fluids are leaking now."

She giggled but gasped and widened her eyes as she began to recognise the landmarks in the territory they were driving in. "Quick turn left!"

"What?"

"_Left!"_ She pointed a parking spot in front of a shop. "Park over there!"

"But-"

"Do it!"

"Gees, you're so bossy." Sora swiftly turned into the spot and put the car into park. "So, what was so urgent that we absolutely must come here?"

"To get ice-cream!" The redhead mentally added a 'duh' as the shop had in front of it a huge statue of a man holding an ice cream with three different flavour scoops.

"I don't really like sweet things."

The girl gave an overly dramatic gasp as she stared at him in disbelief. "What! Not even ice-cream?"

"Nope."

"Come on, you have to try this flavour. It's the best!"

"No thanks."

"But-"

"No 'buts'."

"However-"

"It's okay, you go ahead. I'll wait in here." He turned on the radio volume louder and winded down the windows. "Go."

Kairi only gave him a shameful look before finally leaving the car.

Ten minutes later, she returned not with one, but two light blue popsicles in her hand. She opened the passenger side door and got in. "Sorry it took so long. There were all these school kids lining in front of me. But have no fear, I got them!" She flashed a wide smile and handed Sora one of the popsicles. "Here you go!"

Sora furrowed his eyebrows. "I told you, I didn't want any."

"Too late. I can't finish two popsicles by myself." She took a lick of her own popsicle. "Besides, think of this as payment for beating you up before."

He gave the popsicle a cautious glance before giving in. "I'm only taking this because I don't want my car to be sticky when it melts."

"Whatever you say."

"What flavour is this anyway? It's looks way too artificial to be normal."

"It's sea-salt."

"Sea- what?" He stopped mid-lick. "Kairi, if I wanted to taste the ocean I would've gone to the beach."

"It's not that bad."

"It's like rum and raisins." He gave her a serious look. "No one likes rum and raisins."

"Just eat it, would ya?" The girl had already finished half her sweet treat. "If you hate it, I will personally go back in and buy you another flavour."

To eat a little bit of ice cream and hate it, and then get another ice cream while hating it as well? Or to eat the whole ice cream by itself through agony? The dilemma of a sugar hater. Sora chose the latter. He took a slow lick from the bottom to the top and knitted his eyebrows together. "It's sweet… yet salty at the same time."

"Hence the name sea-salt ice cream." She rolled her eyes. "I discovered this when I first moved here since they don't have it back in Radiant Garden. Best discovery yet! Anyway, do you want another flavour then?"

"No I… I think I might actually like this." His face broke out into a laugh. "Your tongue turned blue."

Kairi took out her phone and examined her tongue through the self-camera. "One of the perks of this treat." She looked over to her companion. "So is yours!"

"Let me see." He took her phone and stuck his tongue out.

_Snap!_

Sora blinked. "Wha-What just happened? What was that sound?"

"You took a photo," the girl giggled and snatched her phone back. "You must've accidentally pressed the button."

He reached for the device. "Delete it!"

"No way!" She quickly locked her phone and put it in her bag. "I can Instagram this later! Or even better," she narrowed her eyes and gave a Cheshire smile. "Use this for blackmail."

"You're so cruel," he whined as he took one last lick of his treat before throwing the stick out the window.

"It's not like I _want _to do it," she grinned as he attempted to turn the engine back on. "Blackmail is more effective than bribery after all."

* * *

><p>Kairi was disappointed.<p>

She found herself staring at the front of her apartment faster than she thought would. During the drive back, the conversation between them flowed more smoothly and she had enjoyed the little quirks that they threw back and forth. Quickly recovering back to her cheerful demeanour, she turned to her driver and gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Thanks for the ride and the ice cream run. It was fun!"

"You're welcome." He smiled. The girl hitched her breath at the sight and a smile formed on her face as a reflex. "If you ever need a ride again I'll gladly give you one. I always finish work at the same time, same place, everyday."

"Would you mind if I get your number then? I-I mean," she stuttered as her cheeks became tinted with pink . "You know, um, if I-I ever need a ride I can just call you, and um, yeah. Not that I like you or anything."

He raised an eyebrow.

She mentally face palmed herself and started to wave her arms in front of her frantically. "I mean, of course I _do_ like you b-but um, it's okay if you don't want to. Giving me your number, that is."

Sora continued to look at her in confusion before chuckling. He held his palm upwards. "That's fine. I'll put in my details in your phone."

Kairi handed over her smart phone and opened up the page for a new contact. After a few seconds, she saw him clearly struggle as he was just staring at the screen. "Need any help?"

"No, it's just… I've never used one of these before. Where's the button to go down?"

Her mouth dropped. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah…?" He said unsurely.

"You press this." She lightly touched the screen. "See how it goes to the next space? Good job! You're learning technology of the twenty-first century. A+!"

"Hey! Don't judge me. I have one of the old models." Sora took out his phone from his pocket and showed her.

"Wow, your phone is a brick!" Kairi gazed at the phone in awe. "It's tiny!"

"That's what she said." He sniggered at his own joke as she gave him a playful push in return. He quickly entered his details on her phone before handing it back. "Call me, okay?"

"I will. Thanks again… uh…" she struggled for his name.

"After all this time you still don't know my name?" He grinned. "Oh well, look in your phone when you have a chance." He winded down the window and started to drive off. "See you later, Kairi!"

Kairi held her hand up and gave him a small wave. She watched him drive until she couldn't see him anymore and finally, looked down into her phone where his details were still on display. "Sora…" she read out aloud to herself and smiled before setting his contact photo as the accidental selfie he took of himself showing off his blue tongue.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Author's note:<strong> Truth be told, I would never, ever, _ever_ try a flavour called sea-salt ice cream in real life. It just sounds so... off putting... haha. I like chocolate. And cookie dough. Chocolate and cookie dough ftw! What about you guys? What's your favourite ice cream flavour?

Sorry for the late update! I've been traveling with my friends for the last few weeks :P annnnddd I also had trouble figuring out how to transition from short episode chapters to actual story chapters... if that any makes any sense... BUT FEAR NOT! I have overcome it and I will continue to keep writing to the best of my abilities :)

Special thanks to DatRandomOtaku, BlissfulNightRain, Ken7700, Malcolm Yuy, SoraxKairi and sukarettimay for reviewing the last chapter! :D

And thanks again to all you lovely readers who have followed and favourited this story!

No, really, thank you! Thank you all! :)


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